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Jacqui interviews NKU BA and MAE graduate, Minadora Macheret, about her life after NKU, which includes an MA at Kansas State and acceptances to several PhD in English/Creative Writing programs: University of South Dakota, Georgia State, and the University of North Texas (with full funding).

JT: Tell us about some of your favorite memories at NKU as an undergraduate and graduate student.

MM: Some of my favorite memories as an undergraduate student while at NKU had to be the OpenMic that we have in the middle of the plaza during the Celebration of Research week. Also, I loved the trip I got to take to Ecuador to do service-learning and to engage the country and its history. As a graduate student, I was fortunate to be chosen to run Licking River Review and learned a lot from sending out a call for submissions to finalizing the proofs on the final product. Most of all, my favorite memories included the faculty and students that were part of my community and who continue to support me today (even states away).

JT: You also have another Master’s degree from Kansas State. What degree is that in, and what made you decide to get another Master’s degree?

MM: Funnily enough, my Master’s degree from Kansas State is also in English, but with a focus in literature and creative writing, along with a certificate in Professional and Technical Communication. Well, I ended up at K-State after dealing with almost 12 rejections to MFA programs from the 2014-2015 application season. I had heard from a friend that they were still looking for applicants (especially poets) and considering their amazing poet on faculty, Traci Brimhall, I realized that I wanted to work with her and see how my poetry could grow. Also, K-State gave me the opportunity to teach persuasive writing as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, which would help to cover my tuition and some of my living costs.

JT: Many students from NKU will want to further their education, and many will be looking into graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships, and other scholarships to receive funding for graduate school, myself included. Since you just received funding to the University of South Dakota, what advice would you give those students?

MM: I would advise researching the schools that you are applying to and making sure that they state on their departmental websites that they cover tuition through teaching assistantships or research assistantships, or through other work programs through the university, like working in writing centers. If the website doesn’t tell you then call the department and speak to their director to find out how funding is distributed (if it is offered). Not all programs will offer funding or some will just offer partial funding. Also, make sure to highlight any sort of teaching you have done, whether as a teaching assistant, a grader, as a tutor, through any volunteering programs, etc. within your statement of purpose to show the program that you’re serious in pursuing your skills in aiding others to learn. I think most importantly that you find ways to follow your passions even if it may not be considered the “normal route.” For instance, at K-State I was unable to teach any creative writing courses and so I found ways to teach creative writing within the community. I teach poetry and storytelling to the local 4-H Latina club in Manhattan, KS, which have become very popular and opened other avenues where I get to engage creative writing. I think the best advice I ever got (coincidentally from a professor at NKU) was to take any passion I have and find a way to build community and engagement through it even when it seems like every door has closed. That bit of advice has been pivotal for my success as a poet and professional.

JT: What schools did you pick to apply to and why? What would you tell students to look for in a school when they start applying for graduate school?

MM: I applied to University of North Texas, Georgia State University, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Florida State University. I chose those other four schools because I heavily researched the faculty there and found people that I thought could become mentors or that at the very least we would be a good fit based on aesthetic, research interests, genre of writing, etc. Also, making sure each program was fully funded was a concern of mine along with looking at how their current students/recent graduates were doing as far as publications, rates of job offers, etc. As far as what you want to look for when you start applying for graduate school is to make sure that the city/town/location, its environment, and climate are things you can live with for the next two to five years depending on the length of your program. Look at the applications fees, if they require official GRE scores to be sent, and whether they require official transcript copies to be sent, all of which can add up very quickly and expensively. Make sure that there are faculty within the program that are interested in similar research ideas so you can establish a mentorship and work with someone already established within the field. Also, if funding is a concern of yours, make sure to find out that the program is fully funded and understand that funding can sometimes fall through due to the nature of budget cuts and bureaucracy. Lastly, I would see if the program offers classes that you would like to take by looking at their course catalogs and even reaching out to current students to hear about their experiences within that program.

JT: What do you plan to accomplish and focus on while furthering your education at either the University of South Dakota or the other programs you applied to?

MM: I will be focusing on completing a Ph.D. in Creative Writing with a focus in poetry. My hope is to complete a second collection of poems and work on sending out the current manuscript to be picked up. Along with that, I want to continue my work as the Poetry Editor for Devilfish Review, will hopefully join the staff of the university’s literary magazine, and continue my work with 4-H youth.

JT: Besides furthering your education, has there been anything else you’ve been up to?

MM: Besides furthering my education, I have spent a lot of time traveling cross- country with my pup, Aki, attending writing residencies, and being a part of different reading series. Also, I got to spend the last two years helping to do curriculum develop and create culturally-sensitive programming for KSRE-4H Youth Development, which has resulted in a webinar series where I get to be a facilitator as well as guest speaker. My time in Kansas has been a whirlwind full of adventure, reflection, and growth. I am thankful for the landscape I’ve gotten to experience and become a part of.